These Words
by Rutherfordium
Summary: Oneshot. William and Daisy go for a walk. As fluffy as they are. W/D.


**Disclaimers: Nothing is owned by me. **

_A/N: _I've always found these two adorable. To take my muse (momentarily) away from Sybil/Branson + Matthew/Mary, I have decided to type this all up. After dying from their adorable-ness, I knew I would have to write some more in the future - as if my list is not already long. Anyway, enjoy and such as per norm. This was inspired by Natasha Bedingfield's song - it dawned on me after writing William. He's such a sweetheart, bless.

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><p><em>These Words<em>

'C'mon William!'

'Just a second!'

'_C'moooooooon_,' Daisy grinned wildly as she tugged at his arm, 'they're going to leave us if we stay any longer!'

Donning his outdoor cap, the young man rolled his eyes. Today, everyone was spending the day in town; it was a beautiful, spring afternoon and the rain had finally stopped its deathly showers. The rest of their group had left - leaving him and Daisy behind. William had been left to finish the rest of the required duties (Thomas', to be specific) and took longer to get ready as a result. Fortunately, the young maid had waited for him - despite the fact that she was so eager to leave.

'I'm ready, I'm ready!' the footman cried, flustered as Daisy clasped her hands in victory.

'Oh, you look wonderful, William!' she complimented as William grinned toothily. Daisy watched as he smoothed the front of his jumper, fidgeting self-consciously beneath her gaze.

'I do?' He questioned innocuously, clearly overjoyed.

'Yes!' Daisy mused brightly, 'We're going to have loads of fun, today.'

'Of course,' William nodded, 'I'm sure fun shall pass our way easily; considering, how _easy _you are to please.'

It was true. The young woman took a long, seamless draw of breath as she began to jog forwards.

'Daisy, wait for me!' the footman rasped, following her with a blushed complexion, '_please_!'

'C'mon! I can't wait forever!'

'Daisssssy!'

With a swish of her peach-coloured skirt, the maid giggled at the tiresome expression on his face. She expressed a theatrical huff before allowing him to cover the distance between them and beamed as he stood beside her, breathless. Coyly, Daisy waited until he recovered before taking his arm.

He glanced down at her, eyes narrowed. She simply smiled, giving him a little nudge.

'Now, I can't run away from you,' she commented with a sunny wink.

'Yes,' William agreed, cheeks flushing a slight pink as he tipped his chin up in approval, 'I suppose that's true.'

'Hm. Now let us go, Mr Mason!' Daisy declared, with a skip forwards, 'we have a long way to catch up!'

'Indeed, _Lady Daisy_!' the footman stated brazenly, chuckles escaping through his lips, 'but I'm perfectly happy to walk... at this gentle pace. Aren't you?'

Comfortably attached to him, the maid bashfully looked forwards as she nodded her head,

'I am,' she answered, '_perfectly _happy right here.'

'Good,' William then murmured, as they strolled down the path, '... I am a _dreadful _runner, you know.'

'Oh?' Daisy retorted, 'A dreadful runner and you are a footman? _The scandal_!"

The two laughed; William's eyes brightened a considerable amount as he listened to her soft, delicate giggles. The delightful sound - always so gratifying somewhat. He knew that it was a silly thing to admit; but, making his friend smile and laugh was his most favoured hobby. It defeated the mundane, monotonous things that a footman's duties consisted of.

Taking an inhale of the mildly chilly air, William glanced at Daisy who was clearly deep in thought. The expression on her face was naively pensive - almost musing.

'Something on your mind?' William posed as she gazed up at him with an unsullied smile.

'No, I mean - I was just thinking,' Daisy took an exhale as she locked eyes with him, '...do you think you'll be a footman forever, William?'

The young man was taking slightly by surprise as he had not expected a question but he thought of it, as she would want. He paused for a moment as he perused the inquiry and then answered,

'I don't know yet,' he responded truthfully, 'it's not a horrible job; I just don't believe I could be anything else.'

Daisy offered him a smile. William quirked his head.

'How about you?' He asked.

'Oh, you know.' A buoyant, almost day-dream expression fleeted across her face as she swung their linked arms, 'I'd be a maid as long as I remain unmarried.'

The footman blinked, not following. Daisy giggled at his expression,

'Well... if I marry, then I must stay at home and tend to my children!' the maid explained cheerfully, '...like my Ma. She says it's much better being at home than working anyway; as long as you get a _decent _husband as she says.'

'Ah,' William nodded, 'Fair enough.'

'I can't _wait _to be married, can you?' the young woman chirped with an affectionate sigh; her face saddened afterwards as she offhandedly upturned her smile, 'of course... such a thing is... probably -'

'Of course, you'll be married Daisy!' William spluttered, finding the whole prospect of Daisy not being wanted by _anyone _positively absurd. She gazed up at him, a little cheered up by his outburst. Fortunately for the footman, she failed to observe that his whole face had turned beetroot!

'You think so?' the maid gasped excitedly, 'oh I do hope so.'

'_Yes_, I think so.' He responded weakly, trying to detain as much of his embarrassment as possible, 'why wouldn't you be? You're - you're -'

_Talk man_! His mind rebuked him sharply as he stumbled over his words. _Oh you fool -!_

William's face turned a shade brighter; this time Daisy did notice. She inclined her head and observed the sudden change in his manner. He looked rather poorly!

'Are you, alright?' she urged, stopping their walk and fixating her eyes on him, 'William - you look _ill_!'

'F-_fine_,' he stammered, blinking foolishly, 'I just - '

_think you're the most wonderful girl to walk the earth_

'... had shivers from the wind,' William finished as he tugged at their connected arms to continue, 'come... let's keep walking.'

Daisy agreed, still not fully convinced. She decided though that if there was something; her best friend would be happy to share.

They spent the next five or so minutes in silence. William recovered while Daisy hummed a tune to fill the silence. She was perfectly happy to observe the beautiful path to town - it was truly stunning in her opinion. Yes! They were right; she was so easily pleased. But Daisy loved that about herself - for she could always see the things that weren't so obvious; things that would normally pass one by.

'Sorry,' she heard William utter sheepishly from beside her.

'Sorry, for what?' Daisy questioned, baffled, 'William are you sure you're -'

'Certain,' William answered with a forced, bared smile, 'I was just apologizing for that, earlier.'

'It's chilly,' the brunette nodded, with a little chortle, '_that's _not your fault.'

For a second, William was lost; and then he remembered his excuse.

'Oh, chilly, yes.' His large eyes blinked, 'yes, it is.'

'Hmmm,' she answered back, entirely oblivious to the fact that he was blushing once more, 'it's a beautiful -'

William couldn't endure the small-talk. He interjected before she could finish with a -

'Daisy.'

They had stopped walking. Daisy's arm had now been released and they were in the middle of the dusty path. William was staring at her - flustered, agitated and _clearly _(to Daisy's eyes) very, _very _poorly.

'Oh, you poor thing!' she cried out, worried, '- William! If you are sick we can go back -'

'No!' William bawled, startling Daisy a little as he stepped towards her.

The small, brown haired woman glanced up at the blonde footman impishly. He was giving her a funny look again; one word could not describe it. It was such a cross of things. But Daisy was just _worried. _For William had never acted like this before! Nor had he ever been sick; she thought him _inhuman _considering how immune he seemed to the winter cold.

'William,' she soothed, eyes narrowed in confusion, 'what's - what's wrong?'

'I -' the footman swallowed faintly, his complexion pale, 'I - Daisy - I -'

Growing a little frustrated, Daisy gasped out a, '_William_!' He was scaring her now!

'I - I think you're _amazing _Daisy!' the young man spluttered, gasping from breath as he desperately averted his eyes to detract his gaze from her. _Oh you have done it now William! Now she shall never speak to you! Ever - _'I think... you - I would - I would stay a footman forever if it meant I would see you...for I -' Oh, enough damage was done and William just slapped his forehead to obstruct himself from saying anymore.

'Oh, William,' Daisy breathed, a hand covering her lips as she blushed crimson, 'oh... _dear_, William.'

A mental kick after another, the footman slowly stopped reprimanding himself and lifted his head up to see her. His face was pasty as Daisy's eyes seemed to glimmer back at him.

'S-Sorry,' William spat out, 'Sorry, Daisy - I shall - I - I shall _never _mention this again... please, please forgive me - I -' His head was a disgruntled mess as he tried to bring words of meaning to his lips. But he knew none; for he'd said it all!

'Please, say something, Daisy,' he pleaded, eyes urging her to speak, 'please - say we are to remain friends.'

A gasp escaped the maid's lips,

'_Friends_, why of course!' she breathed, examining his face as she smiled at him, '_always _friends, remember?'

William smiled, sadly, 'Yes, always.' He cleared his throat, watching as she mulled it over. She always had the same face when she thought about things - he'd known her enough to recognize it.

'I think you're wonderful too, William.'

The sentence that left Daisy's lips was one the footman had not expected. His head snapped up and eyed her, entirely perplexed by the expression on her face. An odd sensation swelled within William's chest as he tried to make sense of what she had just said.

_surely she is not saying_

'Yes,' Daisy began to giggle and gave him a small nudge on the shoulder, 'I think you wonderful too, William.'

'W-Wonderful?' the footman managed, swallowing, 'y-you m - mean?'

'_Yes_,' the maid smiled brightly and glanced around before flinging herself at him, '_oh_, dear William! I thought you'd never say...'

Trembling, William embraced her - feeling her quiver as bemused giggles left her lips. His eyes were wide and still slightly disoriented as she pulled herself away from him, smoothing the front of her dress.

His throat felt inconcievably dry as he eyed her. William shook his head in disbelief.

'Are you pulling my leg?' he asked, weakly.

'No!' Daisy panted, '_William_. You are my _best _friend! And equally... my favourite person in the universe! I - I like you more than anyone else...'

'More than Mrs Patmore?' William joked dryly as he blushed with pleasure.

'_Hm_,' the maid furrowed her brow before nodding her head, '_much _more than Mrs Patmore, I believe.'

'Daisy you're - you're -' William blinked, '_I adore you._'

'Me too.' The maid nodded, adjusting his collar - the way she had always done, '_always._'

William was barely comprehensible as he awkwardly thought of what had unravelled in front of him within minutes. Daisy - the wonderful, modest, funny maid from the kitchens. _My best friend. _The reason he had been constantly scolded at by Mr Carson for being 'distracted' - the reason why he stayed and spent so long in the Kitchens. The _best _reason to stay as a footman.

'So, what now?' Daisy mocked sheepishly as she twirled around, clearly bemused by the stunned expression on his face.

'Eh, I don't know,' the footman admitted, 'I suppose we go to town.'

Daisy laughed. William's hand scratched the back of his head as he proposed a different alternative,

'Um - I could - I could -' His face grew hot again as he finished, 'I could - _kiss _you now, I s'pose.'

Clearly, she had not been expecting it. Daisy's expression contorted into one of utter surprise. William's face fell and instantly he waved his hands in dismissal,

'No! Pardon me!' he cried out in exasperation, 'I - I didn't - we don't -'

'Well _go on_ then.' Daisy grinned, brown eyes wide - once more looking knee deep in a fantasy.

William's own eyes were wide.

'_Really_?' He croaked.

'Yes,' the maid nodded, looking like she was already locked in a reverie.

The footman could not help but feel edgy as he realized he had never kissed a girl before; such a thing he never thought possible considering how young ladies in his old town seemed to dismiss him as ground filth. Daisy had been the first to ever consider him above a footman and as a friend. How wonderful she had made him feel.

'O - okay,' the young man stooped forwards, unsure exactly of what to do, 'I shall -'

Her eyes had flicked shut. William was instantaneously paranoid that _she _knew what to do and he didn't. Oh dear.

Trusting his boyish reflexes, William leaned forwards. He then pulled back.

'Did I do it right?' he breathed instantly. Daisy laughed out loud.

The footman paled. She reached out to him and patted his cheeks,

'I'm not sure, William -' she giggled, face pressed in an adorable expression, '- since you kissed my _nose._'

Oh. 'Oh,' William blinked, before chuckling himself, 'I'm sorry.'

'No,' Daisy shook her head, '... just... just try again.' Her face glowed.

'Okay.' William nodded.

He made a mental note as to where her lips were; and then, deciding he should not close his eyes until he was sure - William closed the distance between them and timidly pressed his lips to hers.

Daisy had a dream.

She had a dream that her first kiss would be like it was in the stories her Ma would read to her! Long. Soft. And _loving. _William's kiss had been awkward, timid, careless and downright _funny_! But she knew that it was just -

_Perfect._

'Uh, I think I did it correctly that time.' William responded stiffly as he stood straight and eyed her.

Flushing, Daisy nodded,

'You did.'

'Oh - oh good,' awkwardly, William pressed his lips together, 'T- Thank you, Daisy.'

Daisy grabbed his arm and returned it to its original position - within hers. She smiled back up at him, modestly.

'They must all be in town now.' William remarked as he tried to place where in the path they may be.

He huffed a little, realizing they hadn't walked majestically far at all.

'Sorry, Daisy,' he apologized curtly, eyes swivelling around, 'I believe - I may have just spoilt our trip to town... I - I knew how excited you were.' If excited signified the fact that she had babbled on about it all week!

'Don't be so silly,' the maid grinned, pushing against him and pressing her head against his shoulder, 'My day's been absolutely fun!'

'But we - we never,' William blinked as Daisy hushed him with a wave of the hand.

'The town's never the fun part, William,' Daisy nodded, with a warm smile, as she gazed up at him - mentally remembering every part of his face. 'You are.'

The rest of the walk to town was spent in conversation, laughter, flustered kisses, embraces and giggles. It was spent as they had always done everything -

_Together. _


End file.
